As long as the hard drive survives you can just plug it into another lappy, we've done that more times than I care to count at the comp shop I used to work at.

But when you need it for work and at home, you have little choice but to lug it around and do your best, within reason, to protect it.

I take my laptop every day.
I started with a backpack, which I liked. But during teh summer i switched to panniers to keep cooler. I haven't gone back, except for a few special days when i carry so much I need the panniers for other stuff.

It all works.

I really like the Arkel Commuter pannier for jobs like this.





https://arkel-od.com/panniers/commute...asp?fl=1&site=

It's got an integrated laptop sleeve that's "floating" in the bag (so if you were to drop it the side of the laptop wouldn't actually hit the ground.

I would either carry the laptop on my back or in a heavily padded sleeve. Where I work, we have a very mobile workforce & are on call 24/7, so most have laptops. The motorcycle guys have a high rate of hard-drive failures, particularly the Harley riders. IT thinks it is due to the vibration eating the hard-drive reader mechanism.

I put my laptop in a neoprene sleeve and have it buffered with my clothes as well. I haven't had any problems over the year that I've been lugging around a laptop. I intentionally got a 12.1" notebook to keep the weight down. I switch between using the pannier and a backpack, depending on my mood. I am a little worried that using a pannier will be a bit rough on the hard drive, but so far I haven't had any problems.

That's my favourite as well. The Arkel Briefcase is also rather nice, in my experience, when a more "professional" look is desired. Either way, the beastie is well protected!

On the verey few rare occasions I have to take my frenkensteined Dell anywhere it usually goes into my backpack with a couple pieces of foam I picked up at the shop from the shipping box of someone else's laptop.

I don't usually have to take it with me so it's not that big a problem for me.

I've been carrying my laptop on my back for over three years. I don't even notice it while biking.

I'm sure panniers would be fine too, but I have one bike so I keep it ready for non-commuting/errands as well. There is the possibility that a laptop on the body gets less shock and vibration.

Al

Some places will fire you if you break a notebook computer.

Yeah, that's how I lost the gig at the comp shop, flung someone's toshiba through the plate glass window and out into traffic.

I carry my laptop in an Arkel Briefcase which has a special suspended laptop pouch in it, and a waterproof cover.

Works great.

I have a desktop computer at work and a laptop at home. I used to carry the files between them using a memory stick (USB thumb drive actually) but now I send them via the internet.

Well... this almost answers my question (:

I've just gotten my panniers and will be looking at laptop sleeves too now. I was thinking in a sleeve and tied down to the rack would be good, but it seems the best would either be in the bag, or on my back.

The more you can isolate it from the weather, road vibration, bumps, and bashing from potholes the better.

I take mine in a backpack. Panniers worked okay with light loads but not with something as dense as a laptop. After the third time it fell off, I said that's it. Now, if I am not going to need the laptop at home overnight, it gets locked to a security cable and tucked in my desk out of sight. Yes, virginia, you can survive overnight without your electronic crack pipe!

No offense, but it sounds like you were using a rather lousy (or defective) pannier. A good one, quite simply, won't fall off.

EDIT: Any chance that it lacked a positive locking mechanism? In other words, was it held in place simply by the tension of a bungee cord?

Would be nice. My workplace (city health dept) bans the use of outside devices because they're convinced that we'll infect the system. No VPN access either. Makes getting any work done outside of the office a nightmare.

It's a trek pannier. It has a positive locking mechanism. It's just not a good enough locking mechanism. I'm of the opinion that anything that would be bomber enough to stay on, would also be pain-in-the-ass inconvenient to take off. Panniers are pain-in-the-ass inconvenient anyway if you stop to do an errand -- you get to choose whether you're going to carry this thing around the store with you, or leave a pricey piece of luggage on your bike.

I have carried my laptop to work several times with a backpack, and never had any problems with either one of them. I had to get a second backpack due to the size increase on the second laptop, but the original one was still in great shape. I bought both of them from www.tombihn.com. They have some good quality made backpacks that can really protect your PC. On protection, they offer cases with rigid sides that can protect practically anything. They may cost a bit more than others, but with what you sink into a good laptop, I feel they are well worth it.

The ones I have are the type that can be used as a shoulder bag, can be carried like an attache case, or used as a backpack. They wear like iron.

My laptop doesn't fit in my panniers, and I didn't feel like buying new ones, so I normally stick it in either a backpack or briefcase and strap that to my rack with bungee cords. It's never caused any problems. I always have it completely turned off during my commute, though.

Thanks for the in-put everyone. Seems like investing in an Arkel is my best option, provided I don't get hit in the hub of my rear wheel like I did a couple of days ago. Again, a backpack is not an option because of back problems and making me feel top heavy. I already have a PDA (HP iPAQ 4150) that I carry everywhere but I don't always carry my lappy. Thanks again.